Surprising amount of space for a long bloke, I'm 6'3" and no problems, but on the odd occasion there is not much space between the upper thighs and the bottom of the wheel. This is usually apparent when one is fighting with the wheel when you've jumped onto the brakes late into a corner and the boot lid is just outside the drivers window.

This is a drivers car, give the little bugger heaps, thrash it, they love it and will reward you with a smile that lasts for hours. Just gotta duck out and buy some smokes, I'll be back in a couple of hours.

29th Aug 2004, 00:50

1978 Lancia Beta monte carlo 2.0 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Beautiful to look at, a nightmare to own

Faults:

It'd be easier to list things that hadn't gone wrong. Electrics are a nightmare. Turn the engine off after a long run & try to re-start it & it was down to luck whether it would start again. This car is the most unreliable machine I've ever owned.

General Comments:

The Monte Carlo is a fabulous looking car. It oozes class & is obviously styled by a top Italian design house (pininfarina, of course) but that's where the praise ends.

This car rotted infront of my eyes. I swear I could see it dissolving on my drive.

The handling in the wet was lethal. This car is a death trap. I managed to spin it on a greasy roundabout at a ridiculously low speed where other cars would simply stick to the road without drama. No wonder Lancia withdrew it so soon.

If you need new parts for a Monte Carlo, be prepared to sell your granny to raise the cash!

4th Sep 2005, 08:21

I disagree. It's wonderful to look at, but that's as good as it gets. Why else would Lancia drop it without further development? Road tests all pointed to the dangerous handling in the wet & the lethal brakes. The car was a dud. Shame, but true.